Internal dispute resolution data reporting

This page summarises:

• the IDR data reporting obligation
• when and how to submit IDR reports
• key downloads
• FAQs on IDR data reporting.

See the IDR data reporting handbook (PDF 1.4 MB) for comprehensive information about IDR data reporting.

The IDR data reporting obligation

All Australian financial services (AFS) licensees who provide financial services to retail clients and all Australian credit licensees must submit an internal dispute resolution (IDR) report to ASIC.

Some types of unlicensed firms (including unlicensed product issuers and secondary sellers) must also submit IDR reports to ASIC: see Table 1 in the IDR data reporting handbook for more information.

When and how to submit IDR reports

Firms must submit an IDR report to ASIC every six months. The reporting periods are:

• 1 January to 30 June, and
• 1 July to 31 December.

A two-month submission window opens at the end of each reporting period. Submission windows are:

• 1 January to end of February, and,
• 1 July to 31 August.

Financial firms that had complaints during the relevant six-month reporting period must submit an IDR report to ASIC containing an IDR data file in machine-readable format, consistent with the specifications in the IDR data reporting handbook. Financial firms with no complaints are not required to submit an IDR data file; they must instead lodge a ‘nil submission’ through ASIC’s Regulatory Portal. In this scenario, the firm’s IDR report will simply confirm to ASIC that there were zero complaints for the firm during the reporting period.

ASIC has published an IDR data reporting Excel template (XSLX 12 KB). Firms may wish to download the template in order to easily submit their IDR data.

Financial firms must submit IDR reports via the ASIC Regulatory Portal.

Failure to submit a compliant IDR report during the submission window means a firm will be in breach of the IDR reporting requirements set out in ASIC Corporations (Internal Dispute Resolution Data Reporting) Instrument 2022/205 and may involve penalties. More information on penalties is available on ASIC’s Fines and penalties webpage.

Key downloads

Key documents for IDR data reporting are:

• the IDR data reporting handbook, which sets out all of the essential requirements for firms to submit IDR reports to ASIC. This includes a comprehensive overview of the data reporting process, the IDR data dictionary and data glossary, step-by-step instructions on how to submit IDR reports to ASIC via the ASIC Regulatory Portal, and a submission checklist to assist in passing data validation
• the IDR data reporting Excel template (XLSX 12 KB) spreadsheet, which firms can use as a simple template to record complaints and/or to check that their IDR data headings are in the correct format to pass validation
• the IDR data validation rules examples (XLSX 23 KB) spreadsheet, which presents examples of line-item complaints data that have either passed or failed validation (updated April 2023)
• Regulatory Guide 271 Internal dispute resolution (RG 271), which sets out how financial firms that are required to comply with IDR requirements can meet their broader obligations, including recording and responding to IDR complaints, and the timeframes for doing so
• the IDR data reporting handbook: Overview of changes between March 2022 and April 2023 (PDF 336 KB), which outlines the differences between the current (2023) handbook and the superseded (2022) version, and
• the ASIC Corporations (Internal Dispute Resolution Data Reporting) Instrument 2022/205, as amended by ASIC Corporations (Amendment) Instrument 2023/282, which gives legal effect to the requirements outlined in the handbook.

FAQs on IDR data reporting

For answers to common questions on IDR data reporting, see Frequently asked questions on IDR data reporting.

Further assistance

If you are having trouble registering on the ASIC Regulatory Portal, please contact us. You can avoid call wait times by submitting a query using our online inquiry form.